Signaling apparatus



(No Model.)

G. B. LEHY.

SIGNALING APPARATUS;

Eatented July 8, 1890,

UNITED STATES PATENT fitment.

GEOFFREY B. LEHY, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,598, dated July 8, 1890.

Application filed December 24, 1889. Serial No. 334,833. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEOFFREY B. LEHY, of Medford, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Signaling Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals 011 the drawings representing like parts.

In police-signal systems it is customary to employ signal-boxes on the streets and receiving apparatus at the central station to receive the signals transmitted.

The signals which it has been found necessary to employ are divided into two classes special and on-duty signalsthe special signals meaning telephone, wagon, or some call requiring immediate attendance, and the on-duty signals meaning simply the record duty of an oiiicer.

Several ways have been devised prior to my invention by which the special and on-duty signals may be distinguished one from the other; andthis invention has for its object the production of a novel Way for distinguishing the special or important signals from the on-duty or unimportant signals, which is simple and effective.

The invention as herein embodied comprises a main battery and two primary circuits leading from it, one of which is the signaling-circuit, and contains, includes, or has connected with it the signal-transmitters at the sub-stations, and also a signal-receiving instrument at a receiving-station, and the other of which contains, includes, or has con nected with it another signal-receiving instrument, the said signal -receiving instruments being preferably arranged face to face to act on or co-operate with a single armature which may be located between them. A local or alarm circuit is arranged at the receiving or central station containing a register' and an indicating-signal, as a bell, and the arrangement is such that when one of the receivinginstruments attracts its armature the register will operate, and when the other receiving-instrument attracts its armature both the register and bell will operate.

Figure 1 shows in diagram a primary battery having two primary circuits leading from equilibrium.

it, two sets of receiving instruments, one in each circuit, and an alarm apparatus; Fig. 2, a modification to be referred to, and Fig. 3 a detail showing signal-Wheels mounted on a shaft.

The main battery A has leading from it two primary circuits a b, one of which, as a, contains several signal-transmitters, herein shown as circuit-changing devices, as a, and hence is termed the signaling-circuit. The circuit-changing devices a are arranged at each signal-box in the line, and a circuitchanging device, as a is also arranged at each box in an open ground tap or branch leading from the signaling-circuit a.

I11 Fig. 3 a detail of the transmitter is shown, it comprising the wheels to a on the shaft 07., which is driven by any suitable motor. A wheel 01/ is also fixed to the shaft n, which has a smooth periphery. These pens n n n are secured to a block, and are arranged to cooperate with the signal-wheels n a a Aselecting cylinder a to which a pointer is attached, is designedto press one or another pen 01 91 a into engagement with the wheels, as desired-as, for instance, when the pen a which is connected to the complete circuit, is pressed into contact with the wheel a the pen a will be lifted, and when the pen Wis pressed into contact with the wheel a the pen n will contact with the wheel a. This is for the purpose of maintaining the circuit a closed when the ground-tap to be described is employed.

The signaling-circuit (it contains or includes at the central or receiving station the receiving-relay a and at the central or receiving station there is a closed ground tap or branch (0*, leading from the signaling-circuit correspondingwith the ground taps or branches at the boxes.

The primary circuit Z) contains the receiving-relay b. It is the intention that the primary circuit 1) and signaling-circuit a shall substantially balance with each other, and to simplify the construction as much as possible the receiving-relays a b are arranged face to face and a single armature c placed between them, the carrying-lever of which is held in substantially vertical position or in WVhen any change takes place in the condition of the signaling-circuit a other than a break in the line-as, for instance, by closing a ground tap or branch at one of the boxes and thereby short-circuiting the rest of the boxes which strengthens the linethe relay a will attract the armature c, and on a total break of the circuit (1,

caused by the circuit-changer a", the relay b will attract the armature'c.

The armature-lever c of the armature c is acted upon by two springs c c, by which suflicient tension is exerted to hold the armature in equilibrium between the magnets, and at the upper end of said lever c a contactpiece 0 is attached, which, when the armature c is attracted toward the magnet a touches the stop 2, and thereby closes the local circuit 01, containing'the local battery (1' and the register d, and the lever 0' also bears upon its upper end a contact-piece 0 which closes against contacts 3 4 to close the local circuit d containing the bell (Z and the register d*. It will thus be seen that when the armature c is moved in one direction the register will respond, and when moved in the opposite direction both the registerandbellwill respond.

Instead of placing the magnets a b face to face to co-operate with a single pivoted armature, they may be arranged side by side or otherwise to co-operate with independent armatures, which are held away from the poles by springs exerting a greater force thereon than the attractive force of the magnets, as shown in Fig. 2. Y

On the drawings I have shown two signaling-circuits and receiving apparatus in con nection with a single register and bell, and it is obvious that Imay employ more, if desired.

The transmitter employed at the signal may be of any well-known construction capable of sending a message in the form of a predeter:

mined order of makes and breaks.

I claim 1. In an electric circuit, the combination, substantially as described, of a main battery, two primary circuits leading from it, one of which contains circuit-changing devices and a receiving electro-magnet and the other contains a receiving electro-magnet, the armatures of the said magnets being normally held away from the poles by a force greater than the attractive force of the magnets, a register responsive to the increase in the attractive force of either of the magnets, and a bell "responsive to the increase in the attractive force of one of the said magnets only.

2. In an electric circuit, the combination, substantially as described, of a main-battery and two primary circuits leading from it, one

01": which circuits contains signal-wheels and a receiving electro-magnet and the other of which circuits contains areceiving electromagnet, a register, and an indicating-signal contained in a local circuit controlled by the armature or armatures of the said receiving electro-magnets.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEOFFREY B. LEHY.

Witnesses:

BERNICE J. NOYES, A. S. WIEGAND. 

